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PSA: Here’s why you might have trouble setting up new iPhones and iPads this holiday season

With this holiday season, many people get new iPhones, iPads, and other Apple devices. If you’re trying to activate yours – or a family member’s device – and you’re having trouble doing that, don’t worry, as it’s that wonderful time of the year.

With lots of people getting new Apple products, some users face trouble during this time of the year since the company’s activation servers get overloaded. Although the Apple System Status page shows that everything is fine, it’s not difficult to find on Twitter or Reddit people complaining that they can’t activate their new iPhone or sign in to iMessage/FaceTime because it’s taking forever.

Last year, the Apple Support Twitter page acknowledged users were having trouble while setting up a new device via iCloud:

We are experiencing a high capacity at this time which is impacting your ability to set up iCloud, please try back in a couple of hours.

This year, on the other hand, fewer users complaint about activating a new iPhone. Twitter user Willian Max, for example, described that he bought a new iPhone 12 and iCloud was taking forever not only to back up the older phone but to transfer the data for the new device.

A Reddit user posted some useful tips whether you can’t activate your iPhone:

  1. Restart your iPhone.
  2. If you’re using a cellular-data connection, connect to a reliable Wi-Fi network instead.
  3. If you get an error message on your iPhone that says the activation server is temporarily unavailable or cannot be reached when trying to activate, wait a few minutes, then repeat the previous steps.

Another possibility is to try using a computer instead, as you can learn more about it here.

If you just got a new Apple device, here are some links that can help you make the most of it:

Did you have trouble setting up a new iPhone or iPad this Holidays season? Share your experience in the comment section below.

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